Wire covering machine



July 28, 1936. v. F. DI LUSTR'O ET AL 2,048,850

WIRE COVERING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS Tf/ro I a/05 7R0.

B LZLE/PY WFLANSBU/PG.

I ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. v. F. DI LUSTRO ET AL 8,850 Y WIRE COVERINGMACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS UST/FOWroFD/L BYZ'LLE/PYW/ZA/VJBMPGY ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. v. F. DI LUSTROET AL WIRE COVERING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet5 INVENTORS V7729 Fo/lusr/Po ELLERYWfZfl/VJBURGI- W ATTORNEYS PatentedJuly 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE COVERING MACHINE Originalapplication September 6, 1935, Serial No. 39,392. Divided and thisapplication November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,116

4 Claims. (01. 95-3) plication Serial No. 39,392, filed September 6,1935.

Said prior application, as filed, described and claimed a method andmechanism for producing an improved type of weatherproof wire.

The instant application is directed to the machine for producing suchimproved wire. The invention comprises'a novel combination ofcooperating parts peculiarly well suited for the production ofweatherproof wire of the type disclosed in our parent application. Suchweatherproof wire may be described briefly as comprising a wire havingin contact therewith a plurality of longitudinally extending bulkybodies of fibrous material such as cotton roving or the like, alongitudinally extending strip enveloping the latter, and a jacket ofinterconnected textile strands enclosing the assemblage.

The invention will be fully apparent from the following detailedspecification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings andwill be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawings- 25 Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away,illustrating improved mechanism for carrying out the method in question;Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of a portion of themachine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed hori- 30 zontal sectiontaken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4of Fig. 2, showing the overlapped effect of the roving strips about thewire core; Fig. 5 is a detail of the finished product; Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail of ,a

a modified form of the improved product, parts being shown in sectionand other parts being distorted in the interest of clearness.

Referring in detail to the drawings, l0 represents a reel having rolledup thereon a wire l2 or 40 other conductor to be covered. This wire isadvanced longitudinally, for example, by means of an overhead capstan l4around which the finished product is given one or more turns beforebeing reeled up on the take-up reel IS. The wheel I4 is carried on ashaft l5 driven from any suitable source of power at a speed sufiicient.to take up the wire as fast as it is covered by the instrumentalltiespresently to be described.

We provide a plurality of supplies of cotton roving as indicated at l8.This cotton roving is a relatively bulky fibrous material and is adaptedto be arranged longitudinally of thewire I! as the same is advanced. Insome cases, each bulky 55 strand of cotton roving will be provided withan exterior helical reinforcement 20, such as suggested by the helicallines in Figs. 2 and 3.

A plurality of roving guides .22 are disposed above the supplies l8.These guides are in the nature of spiraled tubes. The tubes converge 5toward the wire relatively to one another and each tube itself is formedwith converging walls. These converging walls are effective to alter thenormal cross-sectional contour of the bodies. These rovings are normallyapproximately circular 1 in cross-section, but as they emerge from theupper or exit ends 24 of the roving guides, they are flattened out, asindicated at 26 in Fig. 3. The thus flattened out roving bodies as theyprogress upwardly are more or less overlapped, and we provide a closingdie indicated at 28, which has a flaring or substantially conicalcentral opening 30 therein, which is effective to compress the rovingbodies about the wire, so that they overlap substantially as indicatedin the detail View, Fig. 4.

Extending upwardly from the closing die 28, there is a sleeve or tube 32which confines the roving for a considerable distance as it is advancedupwardly with the wire.

A supply roll of strip material 34, such as paper, cambric or the like,is suitably supported on a spindle or roll body 36. From this supply thestrip 38 is fed upwardly and into the tapered mouth 40 of the folder 42,which is effective, as the product is advanced forwardly, to fold thestrip about the roving, either with a longitudinal overlap as shown, oralternately the strip might be applied with a butt joint. The folding ofthe strip is effected by the joint action of the tube 32 and theinclined mouth of the folder. The tube 32 terminates, as indicated at44, a short distance beyond the most restricted portion of the taperedmouth in the folder. Beyond this point, there is a closing die 46,having a tapered passageway 48 therethrough, which is adapted to foldthe paper in proper assembled relationship around the cotton rovings asthe product is advanced.

The guides 22 extend through a suitable central opening formed in thedeck plates 50-52 of a conventional type of braiding mechanism. Thesupporting brackets 54 for the roving guides 22 and the folder 42 arecarried by the upper deck plate 52 of the braiding machine, as shown inFig. 1. 4

wh ch move in crossing undulating paths, the 55 carriers being propelledby .horn gears ill and a known type of propelling mechanism in the formof notched discs 62, which coact with extensions 64, which pass throughthe undulating guide grooves of the braiding machine. 4

The braiding mechanism is eifective to interconnect a multiplicity ofstrands of cotton or other fibrous strands 6| so as to form an outerbraided jacket 66, which serves to hold the component cover elementsdescribed in proper assembled relation. There is a conventional type ofdie 68 located above the braiding point as shown. The conductor handledby our improved machine may be either in the form of a solid wire, asillustrated, or it may be made up of bunched or stranded conductors.

The bulky bodies of strand material may be of cotton roving reinforcedwith an exterior thin thread or may comprise relatively bulky strands ofjute, sisal, hemp or the like. The longitudinally extending strip 38 maybe of either' cloth or paper. But, for some cases, paper is to bepreferred, as it provides for a plane of slippage between the roving andthe braided jacket. This is deemed advantageous because it facilitatesthe ease of bending the product after the parts have been impregnatedwith the conventional types of insulation. This paper or other barrierbetween the cotton roving and the outer woven or braided jacket servesto prevent the intermingling or entangling of the cotton fibers of theroving with the crossing or otherwise interconnected strands of theoutermost jacket.

In some cases, we prefer to use a strip formed of crinkled paper. Forsuch crinkled paper has the advantage of increased elasticity over plainpaper and, therefore, will not be so subject to being severed when benton a sharp radius.

While we have described in detail the specific construction of mechanismherein illustrated for producing weatherproof wire, it is to beunderstood that various modifications and substitutions of equivalentsmay be made by those skilled in the art without departure from theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is: V

1. In combination, a machine for forming a covering around alongitudinally advancing conductor, comprising means for guiding aplurality of bulky bodies in longitudinally converging relationshiptoward such conductor, means for compressing said bodies about theconductor in longitudinally over-lapping relationship, means for foldinga strip longitudinally around said bodies. and means for forming ajacket of interconnected strands around said strip.

2. In combination, a machine for forming a covering around alongitudinally advancing conductor, comprising means for guiding aplurality of bulky bodies in longitudinally converging relationshiptoward such conductor, means for com pressing said bodies about theconductor, means for folding a strip longitudinally around said bodiesand means for braiding a jacket of interconnected textile strands aroundsaid strip.

3. In combination, a machine for forming a covering around alongitudinally advancing conductor, comprising means for supporting aplurality of supplies of bulky strands roving in juxtaposition to theadvancing conductor, roving guides converging toward the conductor,means for confining the roving around the conductor after it leaves saidguides, means for supporting a supply of strip material, means coactingwith said confining means for folding said strip thereabout as theconductor is advanced, and means for interconnecting a multiplicity oftextile strands about said strip.

4. In combination, a machine for forming a covering around alongitudinally advancing conductor, comprising means for supporting aplu rality of supplies of bulky strands of roving in juxtaposition tothe advancing conductor, roving guides converging toward the conductor,a roving engaging die having a tapered passageway of a size to compressthe strands of roving about the conductor in overlapping relationshipafter they leave said guides, means for supporting a supply of stripmaterial, means for folding a strip of such material longitudinallyabout the compressed strands oi roving, a strip engaging die for holdingthe strip in longitudinally enveloping engagement with the compressedstrands and means for interconnecting a multiplicity of textile strandsabout said strip.

VITO F. or LUSTRO. ELLERY W. FLANSBURG.

